Open Space Plan PDFs (scroll down for plan summary)

This Open Space Plan contains goals for the region. It includes an inventory of the region’s cultural, natural, and recreational resources; identifies open space and recreation needs; and outlines an implementation plan with specific recommendations. Please follow the links below to review the Plan, which features revisions based on input received in October, November, and December 2015.

Plan Summary

The Northwest Arkansas Open Space Plan will develop a coordinated, voluntary program to protect and promote the region’smost valued natural landscapes and open spaces. The goal is to preserve these assets, thereby maintaining our high quality of lifeas the region continues to grow and prosper. Simply put, the vision of this plan is to ‘conserve some country as we grow.’

Here are five key points about this study:

Between 2010 and 2030, Northwest Arkansas is projected to have the highest growth rate in the central United States. The projected population growth rate of 58% roughly translates to an increase in population from 500,000 today, to 800,000 in 2030.

Growth in population also means growth in land development, roadways, and other infrastructure that impacts our natural resources. As a region, the communities in Northwest Arkansas can be strategic in protecting our most valued natural landscapes and heritage resources as we grow. Hence, the vision of this plan: "Let's conserve some country as we grow".

This plan combines extensive public input and stakeholder involvement with state-of-the-art analysis of the region’s natural, cultural, historic, agricultural, and recreation resources. The result is a set of maps and data that show priority areas for conservation throughout the region. The goal is not to protect all priority areas, but rather to work with willing landowners who wish to conserve their land, using the maps as a tool in evaluating potential projects.

A voluntary, regional approach to conservation is recommended, involving only willing landowners, and in coordination with the region’s existing conservation organizations. As recommended by the project Steering Committee and the project consultant, the recommended leader of this effort is Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC). This is due to the level of trust, transparency, and regional representation that the organization provides. A new Open Space Committee of the NWARPC would accept nominations for conservation projects from landowners, community groups, municipalities, and others, with any actions being approved by the existing regional representatives of the NWARPC leadership.

The recommended next steps for this initiative are to continue education and outreach about the benefits of open space and about the needs, goals, and results of this study throughout 2016. Another aim of work in 2016 would be to begin documenting the level of financial need for the program from interested landowners and conservation groups, while also gauging public interest in funding the program to fulfill that need. Based on other successful open space programs in the US, a dedicated local funding stream is recommended, such as a quarter-penny sales tax, that could be leveraged against outside investment from state, federal or private sources. A list of state and federal grants related to this study is provided in the plan appendix, some of which could be pursued in the 2016-2017 time frame to get the program going.

More details on these topics and findings can be found here:

Trends and goals related to open space and growth in Northwest Arkansas: Pages 13-33